What's in a Name?
by RonHeartbreaker
Summary: Would anything be possible for a Possable? Or a Stoppible?  Set in the Diplomacy in Action Universe.  Warning: pure fluff. Diabetics beware! Turn back now before this kills you!


A few reviewers have asked why, in Diplomacy in Action, Our Heroine - who married her high school sweetheart - isn't "Kim Stoppable." Herewith the reason. (This, by the way, is my first oneshot not written simply to mine the show for humor. So I'm a bit nervous about it. Please read and review.)

Disney owns Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. I just imagine sickly-sweet but essentially harmless things about them, and write them down.

* * *

What's in a Name?

Kim and Ron walked along the shore of Lake Middleton, snow crunching beneath their feet, their exhalations forming curtains of fog that clouded the air around them, then swiftly vanished. The moon, as it happened, was full, and the white landscape glittered like a carpet of diamonds – a beautiful complement, Kim thought, to the small round brilliant, flanked by two emerald chips, on her left ring finger. She could feel the cold metal against her skin, and yet again tugged off her mitten so she could examine the ring in the silver light.

"It's beautiful, Ron," she said, again.

Anticipated though his proposal had been, she still was giddy with the thought of really being engaged, with the ring to prove it. There was only one thing on her mind that threatened to make this evening less than perfect.

Her face grew thoughtful. _I don't want to be a buzzkill. But I need to tell him. And sooner is better than later. I wonder what he'll say._

She turned towards her BFBF. _BFF, now._

"Ron…" Kim began, hesitantly. "We have to talk."

Ron didn't break his stride, his slow stroll, but just looked over quizzically . Hearing her say that was an unexpected reminder of how far they had come. It was a phrase with the power to genuinely terrify – if it came at a time when a relationship was iffy. At graduation, say, when he had been sure they wouldn't be together. Or when Kim was headed off to Paris and he to London, not sure how to make that work. Or during all those fights that marked the stressful third year of university.

But now? With her wearing the engagement ring he had just given her? _Ain't nothin' to fear here._

"Yeah? What about?"

Kim hesitated again. _How will he take it? I can't believe we never talked about this before. I don't want to hurt him. Maybe he won't care. What if he cares a lot? I guess I could do it, if he really wanted me to. No, no, he _won't_ ask me to! Not if he loves me. Am I going to make this a test? Of his devotion to me? This? Don't be stupid… but still… do I want to be with someone who would insist on it? In this day and age? What would that mean? What other expectations might he have? Enough already, Possible! Out with it!_

"Ron…" she began. She paused again, stopped walking, and lost her nerve.

"This parka makes me look huge," she grumbled.

Ron furrowed his brows, then smiled, and in his best Drakken imitation, suddenly belted out "Kim Possible! You think you're all fat! But you're not!"

He snickered at his little joke, and she laughed despite herself. The she took his mittened hands in hers.

"Honey. I don't think I could change my name."

"What?" Ron looked at her, the confusion evident on his face.

_Oh no!_ Kim thought. _He does care! He can't believe it! Well, he deserves an explanation. Will we fight about this? Maybe we can just quibble, not quarrel._

"I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings or disappoints you. I can't really relate to how you might feel because I've _never_ thought that my husband would take _my_ name… but I know that's still the expectation for most guys."

Ron stood, listening.

"But my name is a huge part of me. Kim _Possible_. I can do anything!"

Feeling a bit silly – _uch, so the melodrama! -_ she took a deep breath before continuing, the cold air sharp in her lungs.

"My mom and dad always taught me what an honor it was to bear the Possible surname. The whole history of the family – from Zim up 'til my Nana and my parents – well, we've been defined by the same can-do attitude. Ugh, that sounds so corny. But you know what I mean. I've always been taught that my name means that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to – and I think that idea, that confidence, that's a big part of why I can do the things I do. It might be going a little too far to say 'it's who I am,' but, you know, it kind of is. I just can't imagine not being a Possible."

She paused and looked back at Ron, trying to gauge his reaction.

Ron's face was unreadable. Then he cracked a little smile.

"Didn't you once tell me it so didn't sound like a name?"

_Ok, he seems to be taking it kinda well. Or is he just jerking my chain? _

"Ron! I'm trying to be honest here. Don't mess with me. Not about this. I'll say again that I'm sorry if it disappoints you. I'm not embarrassed by your name or anything like that. But I'm not Kim Stoppable. Or Mrs. Stoppable. I'm Kim Possible and always will be."

"Wait, what? What's embarrassing about my name?"

_Uh-oh._ Her brain went into reverse overdrive, trying to figure out how to back out of that one.

Then Ron took her mittened hands, stilling them. Kim hadn't even realized that she had been wringing them.

"I don't want you to change your name, Kim," he said.

"You don't?"

"Uh, hello, KP? Who do you think you're talking to? Just because I'm older, wiser, _sexier" (_at this Kim couldn't help but roll her eyes) "and, oh yeah, your fiancé – doesn't mean I've turned into someone else. Did you really think I would need you to change your name for me? Good garden party, Kimmie-cub," (and they both smiled now at the spot-on impression of her dad) "I've always been the guy telling people to 'check the name.'"

"I've been in love with you for so long. In love with _Kim Possible._ KP. What would I do anyway – start calling you 'KS'? Gimme a break. That's just silly. I asked Kim Possible to marry me. Not Kim Stoppable. Or Kim Possible-Stoppable. Or Kim Stoppable-Possible. Or one of those stupid made up combinations like Possable with an "a" or Stoppible with an "i". Then it'd be like 'anything's passable for a stoppible.' Yech!"

Kim's smile had been growing as Ron spoke. She stepped closer and put her arms under his, hearing the soft rustle of parka on parka as she leaned her head into the hollow under his chin. _My, he's gotten taller the last few years._ She felt the cold of his jacket zipper on her cheek and his warm breath on her hair.

"I love you, Ron Stoppable," she said, hugging him.

"I love you too, Kim Possible," he replied, hugging back.

Then she thought of something else and stepped back.

"What will we name the kids?"

Ron smiled, knowingly.

"Got it all figgered, Miss Possible. We'll just name all the boys Stoppable and all the girls Possible."

He looked pretty smug at the clever solution.

Kim cocked an eyebrow and one corner of her mouth turned up in a small smile.

"The school district will love us. But…_all_ the boys? Ron Stoppable, how many kids do you think we're having?"

Ron stopped, now somewhat abashed.

"Well, you know, I mean… you know how much I hated being an only child. I just think that no kid should have to be alone. Especially if we're gonna be living overseas and traveling around a lot.

"Don't worry, Ron." Kim rose onto her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. "Well, we'll have to talk about the name thing for the kids. But a bunch of little ones? Should be possible."

"After all, check my name."


End file.
